Far Longer Than Forever - OLD
by lucycantdance
Summary: The unrevised version of my LotR masterwork. The new version is also uploaded on this site, but I've left this one up for posterity. You can read this if you like, but I do recommend reading the other one first C: Please note that this one will no longer be updated.
1. From Yesterday, Part I

Fandom: Lord of the Rings  
Timeline: Third Age 2510, five months after Celebrían sailed.  
Universe: **AU**  
Story Rating: M  
Chapter Rating: K

Alright, so this is obviously AU. **I am aware that Ereinion did not come back from the dead** (more's the pity), but if Glorfindel could, then why can't Ereinion? I mean, let's be fair. Fin can't have all the fun :P

Just as a heads up, in this story (and all of my stories) Elrond and Elros had a younger sister who died when she was just a child, and Elrond and Celebrian have a second daughter, who was born in TA 2506, so that makes her four during this story. The twins are over 2000 years old at this point and I think Arwen is too but for the purposes of the plot, Arwen is written to be about 18.

This chapter skips around a lot, but the other chapters won't. Hopefully this makes sense. :)

* * *

_Mithlond_

The Hall of Kings was silent. A cold breeze swept through the grey stone corridor, threatening to extinguish the torch that Círdan held. He couldn't remember how or why he was here; but something told him to keep walking, foot in front of foot. There was something that he needed to see, that much he was sure of.

He recognised the section of the Hall that he was in and tried to stop walking, unwilling to go further; but his feet had other plans and slowly took him closer to his destination. A casket a few feet ahead of the elf was glowing slightly, surrounded by a faint blue aura. He knew it well, it was one of the only glass-topped caskets in this Hall, and was where they had laid High King Gil-Galad to rest.

Círdan's heart stopped as he drew closer and he realised why he had been called to this place.

The coffin was empty.

* * *

_Imladris_

The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, warming Imladris as the last of her inhabitants woke up. Despite the bright morning, and even though all of the curtains were open, the bedroom of the Lord of Imladris was dark and filled with a sense of impenetrable melancholy.

Glorfindel - who had appointed himself as Elrond's Protector Against Bad Dreams and worked from the west-facing window seat - looked towards the bed where the Lord of Imladris still slept. It was the only thing aside from work that he seemed to do lately. Celebrían's ordeal had hit him hard, understandably, and Elrond seemed to have used all of his energy stores trying to heal her, which meant that he slept for at least 12 hours every day. The other twelve were consumed with a blisteringly intense work schedule that Elrond had undertaken in order to distract himself from the pain of her departure and the disappointment in himself that he felt at his failure to restore her to perfect health.

Being unable to fade due to his human ancestry, the half-elf saw that he had only two choices: forget the hurt completely, or be consumed by it, as Celebrían had been. Elrond would not allow the pain to consume him - he was determined not to deprive his children of both of their parents - so the only other option he had was to throw himself into running Imladris and keeping it on its feet, thus distracting himself. Glorfindel passed a hand over his face. If only there was someone that possessed the necessary emotional influence over Elrond to snap him out of whatever depression he was in. As close as he and Erestor were to Elrond, they weren't the right kind of close.

Unfortunately, aside from Celebrían, there was only one person who could have helped the situation, and he was dead. Glorfindel turned back to the window and looked out over the buildings of Rivendell, their white marble rooftops glimmering in the morning sun.

_Why did you bring me back, when I'm powerless to help? There are others who would be perfect in this situation, and yet they remain dead. Elrond is going to kill himself one of these days and there's nothing Erestor and I can do. Please, we need help!_

* * *

_Valinor_

Námo smiled knowingly to himself as he looked down on Imladris and heard Glorfindel's plea. Unbeknownst to the warrior, the situation had already been addressed; this was something he had wanted to do for a long time, but until now hadn't had a good enough reason to do so.

Námo's wife Vairë walked slowly up behind him and slipped an arm around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder. She regarded the enchanted mirror in front of him, and the two pictures it held: on the left, a dark-haired elf peacefully asleep in a grassy meadow, and on the right, the Lord of Imladris sleeping fitfully, alone in his bed. Vairë smiled. It would make a good tapestry. Speaking of which...

"It is about time I had something joyful to put in my tapestries. I tire of weaving tragic scenes all the time."

Námo turned his head and kissed her temple. "From now on, you will have many joyful scenes to depict."

They turned back to the mirror and watched as the elf in the meadow stirred, both looking forward to seeing what changes this turn of events caused.

* * *

_Middle Earth_

Ereinion Gil-Galad awoke to the bright almost-midday sunlight shining directly onto his closed eyelids. A cricket by his ear chirped and he sat up with a start, panicking when he found himself in an open field of green grass and not in his bed in the Halls of Waiting. He threw his gaze around the field, slowly recognising, as his eyes adjusted to the intense colour of his surroundings, the call of the birds in the trees, the colour and type of trees in the forest and the rushing of the Bruinen a few leagues away.

Imladris!

Ereinion realised that something about his being felt different. He looked at his hands and saw that they were solid and flesh-coloured, not pale and translucent. He slowly became aware that once again, his heart was beating and he was breathing. It dawned on him that he once again had a living body, as opposed to just a soul. A second later a bright flash of exaltation shot through him. He was alive!

He stood up, shaking as his legs got used to being upright after not being used for so long, and frowned as he looked around him again. But wait...this couldn't be happening, could it? Námo had told him that the matter of his rebirth would be discussed with the other Valar, and he would be informed of their decision when it was made. But he had not been told of any decision. He had not seen hair nor hide of any of the Valar since he had demanded that Námo send him back. Thinking he had made a mistake, Ereinion wracked his memories of the last week, thinking that perhaps he had been told, and then forgotten. But it seemed unlikely that he would forget being told something such as this. It all seemed to have happened to fast as well: he had been under the impression that it took years to be reborn - surrogate parents had to be found, and then the person returned had to go through a second childhood and reach maturity to regain the memories of their first life.

And yet here he was, fully grown, with all his memories. It was as if his life had picked up straight from where it had stopped. Ereinion pondered this for a few moments, but then dismissed it from his mind. He was back - that was all that mattered. All he had to do was get used to being alive, and then do what he had been sent to do.

He took a deep breath, feeling the scent of the living world assault his nostrils as each different fragrance triggered vivid forgotten memories. He threw his head back in the wind and let out a Tarzan call; he had forgotten how exhilarating it felt like to be alive. Returning his head to a vertical position, Ereinion realised that he was not aware whether he was wearing clothes or not, or if he even looked the same as he had in his first life. A simple look down confirmed that he was clothed in black leggings, soft leather boots and a forest green tunic. He noticed a small stream a few steps away from him and headed over to it, kneeling down and peering into the rushing water to see what he looked like. He was glad to discover that he looked the same as he always had - green eyes, long, midnight-black hair and typical Noldorin facial features.

He cupped his hands together and immersed them in the stream and the lifted them out and drank the water that he had caught. Deciding that he had spent enough time dallying, the newly-returned elf gathered his bearings and turned towards Elrond's house.

* * *

_Imladris  
_

Glorfindel's gaze swept over the houses in the city to the bridge that led out of Rivendell, and he sighed, hoping to see someone lost walk across it but knowing that would never happen. After all, why would it? It seemed to Glorfindel that Elrond lost more family and friends than he gained. Out of a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a soul mate, a wife, twin sons and two daughters, the last four were the only ones that remained. It had gone far beyond coincidence now: Glorfindel couldn't help but think that this was some sort of conspiracy.

"Glorfindel?" Erestor came to stand by the Elda's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing the blond out of his reverie. Glorfindel noticed that his right fist had been clenched so tightly it was a wonder the skin over his knuckles hadn't ripped with the sheer force of it. The fact that Glorfindel hadn't noticed Erestor enter the room was either a testament to Erestor's stalking skills, or a sign that he, Glorfindel, needed to stop brooding and start doing something more productive.

Erestor stepped around so that he was more or less in front of his friend and pulled Glorfindel's head to his chest, wordlessly wrapping the warrior in a comforting hug. It was no secret to Erestor that the loss of Celebrían hurt the Elda just as much as it hurt their half-elven friend.

"Come on. You know he won't wake up until after noon, and then he will kick you out because he has so much work to do."

"I know."

Erestor chuckled ruefully. "I never thought I'd see the day when I wished he gave me more to do."

Glorfindel nodded in agreeance. "He's going to kill himself, you know. Soon he's just going to burn out and we'll have no hope at saving him. Not that we have much of a chance now." As much as he tried to stop them, a few tears slipped out of his eyes. Erestor's heart clenched.

"I hate to see you hurting yourself like this, Fin," he said _sotto voce_, lacing his fingers through the braided hair at Glorfindel's temples and gently pulling the Elda's face up so he could look into it.

Glorfindel closed his eyes. "I know. I just can't stand the idea of him being alone or in pain, in any capacity, whether I have any control over it or not."

"I know. I know." Erestor rubbed Glorfindel's back as the blond sighed into his chest. Pulling away from Erestor's embrace and rubbing his eyes, Glorfindel stood up.

"I'm starved."

Erestor smiled softly. "Well, then. Let's get some lunch - we can eat outside if you like, the weather's nice - and you can come back later."

Glorfindel nodded wordlessly, and followed Erestor out of the room.

In his dreams Elrond wandered far and wide, not bothered by hunger or weariness or pain. He was in a strange place, where all the edges were blurred; there were white skies, and green grass, and black shadows that Elrond assumed were trees. He had no conscious idea of where he was going, but still he knew where to go, following an almost-invisible path which eventually led him to a place with no trees and no grass. The ground here was golden, the sky was blue, and he could vaguely hear the crash of waves and the calling of seagulls. There was a figure ahead, but the blurred edges made the person seem insubstantial. Whoever it was turned around, and though they didn't have a face, - just a swirl of blurred features - Elrond felt a jolt of recognition. He had no idea who it was, but he knew that he knew them, and that this place where they stood in was special: many memories had taken place here. The other person seemed to be smiling.

Elrond tried to take a step towards his unrecognisable companion, but his legs were glued in place. He frowned, and his companion's smile dropped, along with the ground. Elrond felt himself falling, and heard a whisper in his ear, the whisper of a voice long-unheard.

_I'll see you soon._

_Who are you?_ he tried to ask, but he had no voice.

Elrond continued to fall, and with a jolt he awoke, drenched in cold sweat and breathing heavily. His mind went into overdrive as he tried to put a face to the voice, tried to place where he knew that person from, but the canvas of his brain was a giant blank. Getting his breathing under control, he passed a hand over his face and threw the covers back. He had half expected Glorfindel to be in the room, as he usually was when the half-elf woke up, but the Elda was not present and Elrond was grateful for that. Glorfindel would only ask him how he was, and Elrond couldn't deal with questions like that.

He grabbed some clothes for the day and headed into the bathroom to shower. He had a lot of work to do today and he had to get ready.

* * *

The magnificent House of Elrond came into view in the distance, and for the first time in his journey Ereinion faltered. It dawned on him for the first time that he might not be welcomed with open arms. He had died, and Elrond had moved on, as Ereinion himself had requested. Ereinion realised that, knowing Elrond, he would not have told his children much about his life before he married their mother, much less his love life. They would know him only as High King Gil-Galad, the greatest and last High King of the Noldor, who had tragically perished in the War of the Ring.

Having presently lost his nerve, Ereinion stopped and realised that soon it would be too dark to keep travelling. He headed over to a big tree on his left and easily swung up into its sturdy branches, knowing that high up in the canopy a makeshift talan had been built. He found the platform and climbed up, made sure that it was still in good condition and would be safe, then went out to find something to eat.

A little while later, after discovering an apple tree and eating his fill, Ereinion returned to the tree and sat on the talan. It was early autumn, so he would be fine without a blanket tonight. It was almost completely dark now, the night falling swiftly as winter approached, and the lights of the city were visible in the distance. The former King wondered about Elrond and how the half-elf would take his return.

Was Ereinion capable of helping Elrond heal the pain of Celebrían's departure? Would people believe him when he told them who he was? Did Elrond hate him for dying? Ereinion had no answers to these questions. He sighed and lay down, forcing the worry and apprehension away. He arranged himself so that he faced the direction of Imladris, and fell asleep with his mind full of thoughts of its Lord.


	2. From Yesterday, Part II

Fandom: Lord of the Rings  
Universe: **AU**  
Story Rating: M  
Chapter Rating: K+

Okay, so this chapter doesn't progress as much as I thought it would, and it's a bit boring...there's a lot of talking and not much happens haha. But hopefully it's still interesting - at any rate it's crucial to understanding why Ereinion is back. Next chapter should be more interesting. :3

* * *

Ereinion awoke before dawn, after having an unsettling dream that he forgot as soon as he opened his eyes. Unable to get back to sleep, he spent a few hours waiting for and then watching the sunrise, pondering the best way to enter Imladris city. He could not just walk in the front door and go, 'Hello everyone, I've been returned from the dead. So, what's for lunch?'. He would have to sneak in, unnoticed, and find either Erestor or Glorfindel: someone who would recognise him immediately, trust him, and then help him to reacquaint himself with life in Arda.

By the time Anor had a full view of the world Ereinion was halfway through the second part of his journey and had less than half a league to go. He crossed the Bruinen and came to the start of the path that would take him up the mountain and across the bridge to the promontory that Imladris was built on. This was where he had to be careful - he was in view of the border patrol and it was imperative that he was not caught. If he was, awkward questions would be raised: why he wasn't washed away by the river, as usually happened to intruders; why he was wearing a hood, why he would refuse to remove that hood, and, when it was forcibly removed, why he bore an uncanny resemblance to the dead High King.

After a few hours of carefully moving along the path, keeping close to the wall of the mountain and thanking the Valar for giving him a cloak made from Lothlorien silk-blend that allowed him to blend in, Ereinion finally came to the city gates which, mercifully, were open. Employing the same stealth as he had on his journey up the mountain, Ereinion snuck inside the gates, through the streets and eventually into the courtyard which led to the entrance of Elrond's house. He knew the locations of the few secret passageways that Imladris contained, having had a hand in its design, and knew that the one that came out near the waterfall originated in the armoury, which was close to Erestor's study. He found the door and, finding it unlocked, opened it. It squeaked loudly from disuse and Ereinion grimaced, but he remained unnoticed and disappeared inside without anyone seeing.

The passageway - which was designed as an escape route for the unlikely event that the house was ever breached - comprised of a narrow, dusty corridor that led to a steep flight of stairs. Ereinion sighed, stirring up some dust particles that he then inhaled with his next breath. Coughing, Ereinion began his ascent, his heart pounding harder the closer he got to the top of the stairs. Ereinion came to the door and carefully pushed it open, stepping out when he found the weapons storeroom empty. He closed the door, which was hidden behind a display of bows, and dusted himself off, and then stepped over to the main door, peering out into the corridor. It was also empty, which seemed strange for this time of day. For the first time Ereinion wondered if perhaps the Valar were intervening, taking all obstacles out of his path.

_If you are, then thank you. If this is just luck...well, I suppose I should thank you for that anyway_.

He did not bother to knock on the door of Erestor's study, and walked right in, closing the door behind him. He turned around, hood still in place, and was met with the tip of a sword held by a suspicious and annoyed Glorfindel. Erestor had risen from his desk and crossed his arms, and was regarding the hooded elf with an equally suspicious expression.

_Well, at least they're both in here_, Ereinion thought. _That will save me explaining twice_.

"Who are you, and what business have you here?" Glorfindel asked. "Remove your hood."

"Peace, Glorfindel. I mean no harm."

Ereinion could tell by the slightly surprised looks on both elves' faces that they recognised his voice. A second later both had recovered and the sword, which had dropped a fraction of an inch, was raised and again pointed at his concealed face. Evidently neither of them could place him just yet.

"Who are you? How do you know my name? Show yourself."

"Lower your sword. I say again, I mean you no harm. I do not wish to have a sword pointed at my face when I reveal it."

Reluctantly, Glorfindel relented and sheathed his sword. "Well?"

Ereinion slowly reached up and grasped the lip of his hood with both hands, flicking it back and finally revealing his identity. Shock registered on his friends' faces, then, unexpectedly, Glorfindel took two steps forward and embraced him tightly.

"Thank the Valar, you have been returned!"

"I...what?" Ereinion had expected a more hostile greeting than a trademark Glorfindel bear hug. When the golden-haired elf released the former King, Erestor stepped forward, smiling. He placed his hand on his heart and bowed.

"_Mae govannen, Aran-nîn_," he said. Straightening up, his smiled dropped and he became serious. "Ereinion, we have prayed to the Valar every day since Celebrían left to send us some help. Elrond...well, he is not fading, as he is unable, but he is overworking himself. He works so late at night that it is no longer night, sleeps until mid-morning, and then rises and again works until the rooster crows. He barely eats, and does not sleep well. Nothing we say has any effect on him, and he does not see that he is working himself into the ground, literally and figuratively. Everyone worries about him, his children especially. They do not want to lose another parent."

Ereinion nodded. "That is understandable." His eyes hardened with determination as he added, "But they won't. I'll see to it myself that they don't."

Erestor nodded and indicated for Ereinion to have a seat. "Sit down, and tell us how you came to be here. Glorfindel, lock the door."

The blond elf did as he was asked and then sat on the windowsill perpendicular to Erestor's desk. The advisor poured Ereinion a glass of miruvor, which the returned elf took gratefully. "I will tell you, but first, I have a question. Glorfindel, you might be best to answer this."

The golden-haired elf nodded. "Go on."

"I am not sure how much time has passed here, but to my reckoning it has only been a week since Celebrían arrived in Tirion, and she said that the journey from Mithlond took a month. Is that the same amount of time?"

Erestor and Glorfindel exchanged a glance and shook their heads. "No," Erestor answered, "Celebrían left in early June; it is now November. That's just over five months."

Ereinion nodded. "Alright. That's still not a lot of time. Generally, rebirth takes years. Surrogate parents must be found to create a body, and then that body must reach maturity before memories of the first life are returned. Yes?"

Glorfindel nodded. "To my knowledge, yes."

"And yet," Ereinion continued, "here I am, fully grown, with all the memories of my past life, and no matter what timing you go off, it has not even been six months. I understand that this is something of a special case, but it is impossible to require a mature body - much less one that looks the same as my other one - within that small space of time. Even for the Valar."

A look of sudden understanding passed between Erestor and Glorfindel. "That letter from Círdan," Glorfindel said. "It said..."

"I know. I must say, I suspected that this was why it had gone, but I wasn't sure and didn't want to allow myself false hope."

"What letter from Círdan?" Ereinion asked. "Erestor, tell me."

Erestor sighed. "That body is not a new body made to look like your old one, it _is_ your old one."

"...What?"

Erestor looked to Glorfindel and the golden-haired elf took over the story. "When you died, Elrond would not allow us to cremate you with the other fallen soldiers, partly because of the nature of your death, and partly because you were the King. Elrond felt that, as King, you deserved more respect and more...ceremony, than to be simply burnt on a mass pyre. The army agreed with him: you were the King and they didn't want to see you cremated like that, as if you were nobody. They loved you, and wanted you to have the dignified funeral you deserved."

"So what happened to me?"

"The army packed up and left Mordor for Osgiliath, where you were embalmed," Erestor said. "We then took you back to Lindon, put you in a glass-topped coffin, held a royal funeral and lay you in state in the Hall of Kings. We had Námo's word that your body would not decay."

"A few weeks ago," Glorfindel continued, "we received a letter from Círdan informing us that your body was missing from the coffin, yet the glass was intact and there was no sign of forced entry. Your body was simply...gone."

"It seemed extremely odd," said Erestor, picking up the story. "Like Glorfindel said, the coffin was not forced open. But really, who would steal a body? My first thought was that the Valar had taken it for something. But we were still left with why they did it and what they needed it for."

"Well, I guess I'm your answer," Ereinion said with a rueful smile. He finished his miruvor and set it down on Erestor's desk with a sigh.

"Right. Well, I think we've monopolised your attention for long enough," said Glorfindel. "Rebirth really knocks it out of you, and you probably want to eat, or sleep, or both."

Ereinion laughed and stood up, stretching. "Yes. Both of those sound good...I would say sleep first but if I don't eat I'm going to fall over."

Erestor also stood. "I will go and make sure your rooms are inhabitable, and Glorfindel can take you to the kitchens to get something to eat. Lunch wasn't that long ago, but Celelas would probably make you anything you wanted anyway."

Ereinion grinned. "I daresay he would."

Erestor went to leave the room, then changed his mind and turned back, moving to engulf Ereinion in a tight hug. "Welcome home, _mellon-nîn_. It is wonderful to have you back."

The former King returned the hug, knowing what the gesture meant. For all his exotic lineage and history, Erestor wasn't a very physical being and to be hugged by him meant a lot. Erestor released his friend and left the room with a smile, shutting the door behind him.

"You have two choices," Glorfindel said as he pushed away from the window sill and approached Ereinion. "We can either walk down the main staircase and hang the consequences, or we can take the servants' stairs and passageway which absolutely no one ever uses and therefore you won't be seen."

Ereinion exhaled, considering. "Well, they're going to find out sooner or later, so we might as well just take the main staircase." He picked up a quill and offered it to the blond elf. "Just do me a favour and write 'Yes I'm Ereinion and yes I'm back' on my forehead, will you? Save me answering the same questions over and over again."

Glorfindel laughed and put the quill back in its rightful spot. "Most people will be at work at the moment, and the people we do see won't be old enough to recognise you. We can save '20 questions' for later. Come on." He took a hold of Ereinion's hand and gently pulled him towards the door.

The short trip to the kitchens was largely anticlimactic - they only passed two maids on the stairs, and as soon as they caught sight of Glorfindel the girls dissolved into giggles and were too busy whispering to each other as they passed to even notice the dark-haired elf by Glorfindel's side. As they passed Ereinion followed them with his eyes, noting that they both glanced back at the blond to see if he noticed them. Ereinion raised an eyebrow at Glorfindel who mock-glared at him.

"Say. Nothing."

"Wasn't gonna," Ereinion replied, laughing. He raised his eyebrows, eyes glittering mischievously. "Do all of the maids lust after you?"

Any reply Glorfindel might have made was cut off as the two of them reached the bottom of the stairs and heard the sound of a plate smashing in the kitchen. Ereinion smiled as he heard Celelas's voice.

"Look what you've done now! Oh, for the love of the Valar, Fergagh, get out of my kitchen! You know you're not allowed in here!"

A dark brown wolfhound ambled guiltily out of the kitchen, tail between its legs and head drooped in shame. It looked back to the door of the kitchen, trying to appease the elf that stood there. Celelas shot the dog a stern look. "Go on, out! Go!"

Fergagh took two slow steps towards the front door, then, quick as a flash, spun around and dove back into the kitchen, wreaking havoc with the stacks of freshly washed plates on the table and benches. Covering his eyes with his hand, Celelas sighed in resignation. "Elladan!" he called. "Your insufferable mutt needs to be taken for a walk!"

He turned to go back into the kitchen when the two figures in the foyer caught his eye. He nodded at Glorfindel by way of greeting, and then stared at the other in disbelief, jaw dropping.

"Eru Almighty," the cook breathed, barely believing his eyes.

Ereinion couldn't help but grin at Celelas's reaction. "Hello," he said simply.

Celelas stopped a few paces in front of him. "Are you real?"

"Last time I checked, I was." Ereinion replied, moving forward and enfolding his old housekeeper in a big hug. Celelas shook his head as he stepped back. "Well, you have impeccable timing, just like you always did."

"Let me guess, you made spaghetti for lunch."

Celelas nodded as the three of them entered the kitchen. "Yes. Well, I _did_. If I know that dog, it's now all over the floor," he added with a roll of his eyes. He swiftly glanced around and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that the pot of spaghetti was still safely sitting in the middle of the table.

Ereinion laughed and moved over to pat the dog, which was lying on the floor as if he owned the place. "Who does he belong to?"

"Elladan." Celelas replied. "Although he was originally a Yule present for both twins, the year Arwen was born."

Ereinion stood up and sat next to Glorfindel at the table. He opened his mouth to reply when a voice drifted down the stairs from the second-floor interior balcony. "You know, Cel, if you let him at the lamb bones, he'd leave the rest of the kitchen alone."

A figure descended the steps and entered the kitchen, dressed in a short-sleeve black tunic and loose shorts. He wasn't very old, perhaps the equivalent of 19, and had long midnight-black hair that was restrained in a high ponytail. A long, sweeping side-fringe framed the elf's fair face. He bore a striking resemblance to Elrond, and carried himself with the same confident self-assurance that Elrond had possessed at that age. He headed straight over to his dog, glancing only briefly at the small party of elves at the table. After a second he did a double-take, and looked again. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the elf that accompanied his old tutors.

"Hello, Elladan," Ereinion said.

"Hello," Elladan replied. He regarded the former King warily. "How do you know who I am?"

Celelas opened his mouth to chastise Elladan for lack of manners, but Ereinion waved it off, shrugging. "I watch what goes on down here. I know that you have a twin and I also know that you're the older one because if you were the younger, you would have introduced yourself, not demanded answers. But you're suspicious; overprotective," he replied with a slight smile. "Like an older twin."

Elladan raised his eyebrows in a slight challenge. "And how would you know about the differences between older twins and younger twins?"

Ereinion met the younger elf's challenge with a level gaze. "I knew your father well, and you are exactly the same as he was at that age."

Elladan gave a very slight smile and conceded defeat. "Speaking of, does he know you're back yet?"

Celelas and Glorfindel both looked at Ereinion expectantly, also wanting to know the answer. Ereinion shook his head. "No. I want to get settled in and reacquainted before he finds out. Hopefully the news won't travel to him before dinner - I can't imagine he'd be too happy to be the last to know. I was planning to tell him this afternoon, after lunch."

Elladan nodded thoughtfully. "Okay." He caught Ereinion's eyes and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry; I'm not going to tell him. I swear."

With that, he went back over to Fergagh and led the wolfhound out of the back door into the gardens. After a few seconds he reappeared at the doorway, as if remembering his manners. He smiled slightly and inclined his head. "By the way, welcome to Imladris."

Ereinion returned the smile and also inclined his head, and Elladan went outside to take Fergagh for a walk. The King's stomach grumbled and Celelas was instantly on his feet, reheating a portion of spaghetti on the stove.

"Can't have you collapsing of exhaustion. There you go," Celelas said as he placed the plate in front of Ereinion. A few moments later he placed another plate down, this one containing toasted fresh bread. Ereinion devoured the food in silence while Glorfindel and Celelas discussed the plans for the upcoming Yule festival. Ereinion hadn't realised how hungry he actually was; having a real body again was going to take some getting used to.

The former King had just finished eating when Erestor rushed into the room, looking like he'd seen a ghost. Ereinion and Glorfindel looked up at his arrival, and didn't even have time to ask what was wrong before the advisor answered their unspoken question.

"Ereinion, come with me. There's something you need to see."

* * *

Cliffhanger, mwahaha. Don't worry though, it's nothing serious. C:

_Mae govannen, Aran-nîn _- Well met, my King.

I don't know if anyone will pick up on it, but (imo) Elrond is unable to fade because he is not completely elven (also because it just makes things a whole lot more fun ;)).

I am insanely proud of my rebirth explanation xD I seriously believe that Elrond would not let Ereinion's body be any more burnt than it already was, even if it was the custom (it's never explicitly said whether cremation was the norm or not). But he wouldn't necessarily want him in the ground either. :/ So mummification and a Snow White-style coffin was the perfect explanation. (: However, if there's anything you don't understand, by all means let me know and I'll try and explain it better.


	3. Taking Chances

**IMPORTANT NOTICES:  
Firstly: My username has changed. Hopefully no one was thrown off by that. Reasons for changing it are on my profile. :)**

**Secondly: This is not a new chapter. **Sorry to disappoint you guys, but it's a shorter version of chapter 3, shortened to make the end more suspenseful. Ordinarily I don't announce edits like this, but this is a major oneand people would get confused if I didn't do it this way. Making this chapter shorter means that the story plot unfolds even slower at this point, but I wasn't happy with how it was before and I'm much more satisfied now – this is how I should have ended it in the first place. Hopefully after the next chapter the pace starts to pick up a bit.

I hope you guys approve of this change, but please let me know if you don't. If that's the case then it doesn't mean I'll put it back the way it was, but I would like to know what you think.

On with the show!

* * *

Fandom: Lord of the Rings  
Universe: **AU**  
Story Rating: M  
Chapter Rating: T, to be safe

Candis and Celelas are mine, everyone else is Tolkien's.

* * *

Erestor rushed into the kitchen, looking like he had seen a ghost. Ereinion and Glorfindel looked up at his arrival, and did not even have time to ask what was wrong before the advisor answered their unspoken question.

"Ereinion, come with me. There's something you need to see."

Curiosity piqued, Ereinion, Glorfindel and Celelas followed Erestor up the stairs and into the family wing, towards Ereinion's rooms.

"...My old rooms are still there?" Ereinion asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Well, it's not like they fell down," Glorfindel replied with a small grin. "But yes, they are. No one has lived in them since you died. Elrond doesn't like the thought of someone else in there, messing everything up. He makes sure they're still kept clean and everything."

Ereinion smiled warmly. _Of course he would do that._ It made being alive again feel a little less odd, and a little more like he had never been gone. He had not given where he would live much thought, but he realised that the thought of sleeping in unfamiliar guest rooms scared him. He was suddenly glad that Elrond had kept his apartment as it had been.

"So, Erestor, what's all of this haste about?" Celelas asked from behind Ereinion and Glorfindel. Erestor stopped outside of Ereinion's old chambers, and turned to look at the housekeeper.

"When was the last time you cleaned these rooms?"

"A couple of months ago, I think. Why?"

Erestor opened the door and gestured inside by way of answer. "Look."

The other three elves looked at each other, and then at Erestor. Ereinion stepped forward first, and walked through the doors into his sitting room. The others followed, the reason for Erestor's surprise becoming evident.

The rooms were spotlessly clean, no dust anywhere. All the curtains were open, and the balcony doors were open to let in the breeze. Further investigation revealed that there were fresh towels and soap in the bathroom, clean sheets on the bed, and every article of clothing Ereinion had ever owned in his adult life was either hanging neatly in the wardrobe or folded into the bureau.

"Did you do this?" Ereinion asked, addressing Celelas but not turning to look at him.

"No," Celelas replied. "Like I said, I haven't been in here for months, and no one else has either. But this is definitely a recent job - it looks like it was only done yesterday."

Ereinion smiled to himself. Oh, he knew who had done this. He had no inclination to enlighten the others, however. He turned to them and shrugged. "Well, whoever did it, they did a good job. So now, if you don't mind, I'm going to have a shower and a nap."

The others nodded, and took one last curious glance around the rooms before leaving to attend to their various jobs. Erestor was the last to leave, and informed Ereinion that he would fetch him for dinner at six-thirty. When he was alone Ereinion took a moment to relish being in his old rooms again. He had missed his beautiful dark mahogany furniture, the cornflower blue walls, the massive four-poster bed big enough for five and the royal blue and gold bedspread and matching curtains. At the moment, however, the thing he had missed the most was his white tiled bathroom and glorious blue and gold-tiled swimming-pool sized bath with hot running water.

Ereinion kicked off his boots and headed into the bathroom, regretting that it would take quite a while for the sunken pool to fill up. He pulled off his vest as he walked through the door, and laughed at what he found.

The pool was already filled with water. Ereinion shook his head and fetched a towel, a wash cloth and some bath lotion, deposited them by the side of the bath and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He tested the temperature of the water, and found it perfect.

Smiling warmly, he glanced upwards. "I know that all of this is the work of one of you, so thanks."

Straightening up, he took a step back from the edge and then dove in.

Elrond was almost half-way through next month's duty roster when there was a knock on the door of his study.

"Come in."

He glanced up when the door opened to admit Candis, one of the maids. She was carrying a small tray which she set down on an unused corner of Elrond's desk. "Celelas said you weren't at lunch, and asked me to bring this to you."

He smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I meant to go down, but I lost track of time."

How easy lying had become. The truth was, he knew exactly what time it was but did not wish to go down to the Great Hall and face the entire population of his city. Still, he _was_ hungry. The tray contained a plate with an egg and salad sandwich on it and a smaller tray that contained the instruments needed to make tea. Candis put the plate on the desk and proceeded to pour the Lord of Imladris a cup of tea, pushing a strand of wavy red hair behind her ear as she did so.

"Must be strange to have the King back after all this time."

Elrond, who had been daydreaming while he watched her hands go through the motions of brewing the tea and adding milk, glanced up sharply. "The King?"

Candis nodded. "Yes. He arrived early this afternoon, just after twelve. Put Celelas into a right state. He says he now has to make a welcome feast, and is panicking because he's out of parsley or something that's not really necessary, if you ask me."

Elrond rubbed his eye. "Sorry, what King are you talking about?"

Candis stopped working and gave him a strange look. "The High King. His majesty Gil-Galad."

When Elrond's eyes widened, she ventured, "...you didn't know he'd come back?"

"No," Elrond replied. He was quickly deciding that he had fallen asleep at his desk and that this was, in fact, all a dream. Ereinion, back from the dead? The thought almost made him laugh.

"Oh." Candis added two teaspoons of sugar to his tea and stirred them in, and then placed the cup and saucer next to the plate. "I thought you would have been one of the first to know."

Elrond shook his head. "Apparently not."

Candis shrugged and picked up the tray. "Good afternoon, my Lord," she said, inclining her head as she turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Candis. Tell Celelas thank you for this," Elrond replied, indicating the sandwich and tea.

"I will." She left the room and Elrond picked up a half of the sandwich and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully as he got up and walked over to the window. It did not really feel like a dream, and he could not remember ever eating in his dreams before, but he supposed that he did not remember every dream that he had ever had in his life so it was entirely possible that he had eaten once in a dream and just did not remember. He finished the half of the sandwich that he was holding and went back for the other; resuming his place by the window and watching Elladan play fetch with Fergagh without really seeing them. He felt like there was something he was missing, but he could not put a finger on what it was.

Returning to his desk, Elrond picked up the tea cup and took a small sip as he went to sit down, grimacing slightly. The tea was hot - very hot, and burnt the tip of his tongue. He'd have to have a word with Candis next time she made him tea. As he sat down his hand jolted slightly and a few drops of tea landed on his hand. Swearing softly as the liquid burned his skin; Elrond quickly set the teacup down and wiped his hand with his ink rag. A thought hit him and he stopped moving.

His hand hurt. His tongue hurt.

One does not feel pain in dreams.

Elrond jumped to his feet, nearly knocking his chair over in the process, and rushed towards the door. He opened it and stepped out into the empty corridor, heading towards what used to be Ereinion's apartment, instinctively knowing that if the High King _was_ back, that was where he would be. He reached the blue wooden doors and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, and then opened them and stepped inside.

Ereinion ran a wide-tooth comb through his wet hair, and then appraised his reflection in the mirror. He was dressed in simple black leggings, soft black leather boots and a navy tunic. His hair was as yet unbraided, and he decided to leave it that way. He had always hated braiding his hair, and technically there was no need for it now as he had no formal station. Gathering up his discarded travelling clothes, he carried them into the bedroom and deposited them on the bed, then picked each article up individually to ascertain whether or not it needed to go in the laundry. He decided that it all could be worn again before it needed washing, and began to put them away. He had just hung his tunic and vest in the wardrobe when he heard the door to his rooms open. He frowned slightly. It wasn't even four o'clock yet, so why was Erestor-

He turned around and forgot how that thought ended. Elrond was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, breathing slightly heavily and regarding him with a mixture of surprise, hope, and disbelief.

"She was right," the Peredhel breathed. He was still for a few seconds, and then walked over to the former King, and stopped a few inches away. Elrond slowly raised his right hand and pressed it against Ereinion's chest, breath hitching as he felt the strong, steady heartbeat beneath his fingers. Elrond looked up into Ereinion's face, presented with palpable evidence but still afraid to believe the truth. This elf had been his brother, his best friend, his lover for almost 3400 years. When he had died Elrond had felt like all of the best parts of him had died as well. Losing Elros had hurt less than losing Ereinion and Elrond was too afraid of hurting that much again to easily believe that Ereinion was really standing in front of him, and that he wasn't just hallucinating.

"This is a dream," Elrond whispered, looking at his feet and closing his eyes. Ereinion's arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him close.

"Then it is a good dream."

"But still a dream. Not real. I'm going to wake up and you're going to be gone and-"

Ereinion broke the embrace and placed a finger under Elrond's chin, lifting the younger elf's face up so he could look into the eyes of his former lover.

"No. This is reality. I am here, I'm real. I promise."

Elrond shook his head and blinked back tears. "Prove it," he pleaded. "I can't believe that they'd give you back so please, prove it."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment and then all of a sudden Ereinion's hands were entangled in Elrond's hair and the King's lips were pressed against his own.

* * *

So. They did not waste any time, did they? ;)

Those years are correct, by the way. I actually worked it out because I'm nerdy like that. Elrond and Ereinion's relationship from the time they first slept together until Ereinion's death is 3390 years, and Elrond and Celebrían were married for 2401; that's 989 years which falls just outside of the 'almost' bracket, but for the first few centuries of his relationship with Ereinion, Elrond would have had trouble viewing himself as the King's equal (see _Stripes_ for some explanation). Taking that into account and taking maybe three or four centuries off of the difference, the figures are not so far apart, especially by elven reckoning.

This was originally going to go further but it would have been a bit too long…this is five pages already XD In the next chapter this Elrond and Ereinion dilemma is solved, and we meet the children, as well as someone else who is very important to Ereinion.. I suppose I should warn you that Arwen will not be the perfect polite princess that you're expecting her to be ;)

Long comment is long. I won't do a **tl;dr **because it's all important. :3


	4. Many Meetings

Fandom: _Lord of the Rings_  
Universe: **AU**  
Story Rating: M  
Chapter Rating: T, to be safe

Evan and Erulissë belong to my friend Anna; Candis, Celelas, Círa, Erurainon, Indilwen, Maríka and Rinion are mine and everyone else is Tolkien's.

_Maríka _is pronounced 'Mah-REE-kah', and the abbreviation, _Marí_, is pronounced like 'Mary'. _Círa_ is the same character as Keira - I have just changed the spelling of her name to (Sindarin) Elvish spelling. It's still pronounced the same. (I don't know if any of you are familiar with Keira, but I thought I'd tell you just in case you were and got confused. :3)

Since I cut the last chapter in half, those that have followed this story up to this point will have already read the first half of this chapter, but the second half is all new.

* * *

Previously on _Far Longer Than Forever_:

_Ereinion broke the embrace and placed a finger under Elrond's chin, tilting the half-elf's face up so he could look into his eyes. "I am here, I'm real. I promise."_

_Blinking back tears, Elrond shook his head. "Prove it," he pleaded. "I can't believe that they'd give you back so please, prove it."_

_They looked into each other's eyes for a moment and then all of a sudden Ereinion's hands were entangled in Elrond's hair and the King's lips were pressed against his own._

_

* * *

_Acting on reflex, Elrond returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around Ereinion's waist, allowing his eyes to slip closed. Ereinion's heart soared and he felt light flood through him. The memory of holding Elrond and being held by him in return, of kissing him, had been one of the only things that had made his long years in the Halls bearable. He had missed his half-elven lover desperately, and to be kissing him again after all this time was paradise.

Elrond melted into Ereinion's touch. The lips against his own, the long-fingered hands threaded in his hair, the feel of the muscles in Ereinion's back shifting under his touch - all was wonderfully familiar and Elrond found himself also realising how much he had missed this; how much he had missed Ereinion. It felt so natural, so right. Kissing his wife had never felt like this.

All of a sudden Elrond's eyes flew open. He was married. He shouldn't be doing this. He let go of Ereinion's waist, pressed his hands against the former King's chest and pushed him away.

Ereinion registered that Elrond's hands were on his chest and then the pressure on his lips was gone. Elrond had pulled away and stepped back, and was now looking at him with horror in his wide eyes, a hand covering his mouth.

Elrond stared at Ereinion, numb all over and only half-knowing why he had just pulled away. He tried to regain his breath as his mind screamed blue murder at him.

_Why did you pull away? You don't want to stop kissing him! For the love of the Valar, why did you do that?_ And then, as the silence between them grew heavier, _Say something you idiot!_

He was married. He had children. Celebrían had not even been gone for half a year and already he was kissing someone else. Guilt at this new development flooded through him even as a small voice in the back of his mind whispered that kissing Ereinion was not _cheating_, after all, he and Ereinion had been lovers for millennia before he married Celebrían...

Conflicting emotions swirled through Elrond and made his head pound. He couldn't decide what he felt, and quite honestly did not have the energy to. This last year had been far too taxing on him and now with Ereinion back he couldn't cope with the new feelings that the King's reappearance had caused. He had wanted this, had ached for this, for so long. Now Ereinion really was back and Elrond was too much of an emotional wreck to deal with it.

Ereinion swiftly looked away, closing his eyes as he also mentally berated himself. Kissing Elrond was a stupid thing to do, stupid! He was married, he had a family. He had moved on, and Ereinion no longer had a place at his side.

Elrond was the first to recover his voice and swallowed hard. "Ereinion..." They had to talk about this. He had to tell Ereinion that he hadn't meant to pull away, that he didn't know what he was feeling, that he just needed _time_.

Ereinion took a deep breath and spoke before Elrond got a chance to even start to explain himself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was a really stupid thing to do. I shouldn't have-...I-I think it's best if I just...go now."

He walked quickly out of the room without a backwards glance, heading for the Hall of Fire and hoping to recover some semblance of his self-control there.

"Ereinion!" Elrond called as the King all but ran out of the room. Ereinion kept going and Elrond sighed deeply, running a hand over his face. "Nice going, Peredhel," he muttered to himself. He ran a hand through his hair and then turned and followed Ereinion out of the room, closing the door after him. His emotions were even more in turmoil now than they had been before and he felt that if he did not sort them out he would explode. With a sigh he bypassed his study and headed towards Erestor's, praying that his friend was alone and could help him.

* * *

Elrond came to a stop in front of Erestor's study, placed his hand on the door handle, and hesitated. What if Erestor was busy? What if he had company? Elrond bit his lip and let go of the door handle, knocking softly on the door instead.

"Come in."

Elrond pushed the door open slowly, peering inside to see if anyone else was in there. Erestor was alone. Breathing an inaudible sigh of relief, Elrond stepped inside and shut the door behind him. Erestor glanced up to see who it was and smiled bemusedly.

"You never knock."

"First time for everything," Elrond shrugged. "...Are you busy?"

"No, of course not. Have a seat." Erestor put his quill in the inkpot in front of him and pushed the reports to the side. He frowned slightly when he saw that the half-elf seemed shaken. What could have happened in the space of a few hours that would have had this effect on Elrond? His mind came to the obvious conclusion, but he would have thought that finding Ereinion alive again would be a cause for joy, not apprehension. "Elrond, _mellon-nîn_, what has happened?"

Elrond sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I kissed Ereinion. Well, actually, he kissed me."

"Wait, _what_?" Erestor realised his mouth was open and he promptly shut it. "Well, he certainly didn't waste any time!" a quick glance at Elrond's face revealed that the half-elf was not laughing and Erestor sobered. "Okay. Tell me what happened."

Elrond relayed to Erestor the events of that morning, how Candis had came in with his tea and mentioned the King, assuming that Elrond knew he was back; and how Elrond went to find Ereinion and found him in his old rooms.

"I was...shocked, to say the least. I didn't believe that he was really back, didn't believe that I could be that lucky. So I asked him to prove it and he kissed me."

Erestor nodded slowly, going through this information in his head. He still didn't quite understand Elrond's reaction. "Okay. And this is a bad thing...why?"

"Because I pushed him away."

"_Oh_. Did you not want him to kiss you?"

Elrond threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't know! I mean, of course I wanted him to kiss me, I was standing less than a foot away from him and if I didn't want him to kiss me I'd've been standing further back-" he sighed again and took a deep breath, and continued more calmly, "It's just- I'm so confused about this whole thing. An hour ago I thought he was still dead, and now I'm snogging him and-" Elrond broke off, gesticulating to compensate for his loss of words.

He exhaled. "There are so many other things to consider now. I've been married for almost as long as I was involved with him and it's not something I can put in the past straightaway. Not to mention I now have to think of my children and what they're going to think of my actions."

Erestor had not considered that the children might react badly - he tended to forget that only a select few of the residents in Imladris knew the true nature of the relationship between the King and their Lord, and Elrond wanted to keep it that way; even though that relationship was not necessarily something he was ashamed of. It was, however, his own business, and did not concern anyone but Ereinion and him. The advisor nodded. "You need to tell him that. If I were you I'd just leave him be for a while and-"

"-Let him come to me," Elrond finished. "Yes, I am aware of what to do in this situation. I do know him, you know." One corner of Elrond's mouth quirked up, taking the sting out of his words.

"Of course you do. Sorry."

Elrond waved away the apology. Erestor leant forward. "Before you talk to him, there is one question you need to seriously consider so that there are no misunderstandings."

"What question is that?" Elrond asked, although he had a pretty good idea of what Erestor would say next.

"Do you want him back as just a friend, or as your lover?"

* * *

Ereinion sat curled up in an armchair in one corner of the Hall of Fire, nursing a glass of warm spiced wine and staring at the fireplace in front of him. The flames weaved and danced, crackling merrily, oblivious to his inner turmoil. Of all the ways he could have proved his existence, he chose the one way that would cause the most trouble. He should have realised that Elrond's emotional state would be fragile, to say the least. He could have at least waited a few days before taking such liberties, but no. Ereinion took a sip of his drink and sighed. He had not known that having Elrond that close after all that time would be so intoxicating, and that it would be so hard to maintain his distance. Taking another sip, he idly wondered how long it would be before the gossip mills were up and running again, if they were not already doing so. Ereinion remembered how it had been in Lindon, when he and Elrond had been the favourite subject of gossip, even when they were careful to conceal their tracks as much as they could.

Perhaps that had only added to the fascination with their relationship.

Lost in his thoughts, Ereinion barely registered the sound of an elf entering the Hall. He paid no attention to the new arrival until she dropped the mug of tea that she was holding. It smashed, splashing tea over the floorboards and the hem of her dress.

"Ereinion?" Maríka breathed the name, barely believing her eyes. The elf in question glanced up sharply at the sound of his name, a similar expression of shock on his face as he recognised his sister. She grinned, and he stood up as she rushed over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "By the Valar, it is true!"

Ereinion wordlessly returned the hug, wondering how he could have forgotten about her. He bent over and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her familiar scent. "Marí..."

Maríka pulled away, tears of joy glistening in her blue eyes. "I heard whispers of your return but I thought it was just gossip." She touched his forehead, smoothing away the lines of worry. "I am glad it is not so."

Ereinion smiled. "I didn't know you lived here - I assumed you had stayed in Lindon, or travelled to Mithlond."

Maríka laughed. "You've missed a lot. Come on, let's go outside and I'll fill you in." At that moment she remembered the mug. "Perhaps I better clean the tea up first."

Ereinion glanced over her shoulder and saw that Glorfindel, who had heard the sound of the mug breaking and had come to investigate, had stacked the broken pieces of china in a small pile and was now mopping the tea up with a cloth. "I don't think you need to worry about that."

Maríka turned around and also noticed Glorfindel. The golden-haired elf glanced up as the siblings approached the spot where he was kneeling on the floor and smiled at them.

"Good thing this spilt on the floorboards and not the rugs, Marí," he commented. "If you got tea on the carpet I don't think Celelas would forgive you."

Maríka chuckled and then cleared her throat in a slight warning. Glorfindel took the hint and with a knowing smile, he finished his task, picked up the broken mug, and headed to the kitchen. If Ereinion was left a little confused at the encounter between his best friend and his sister, he had no time to think of it as Maríka took his hand and led him out to the garden. They chose a shady seat that faced the rose garden and sat down, and Maríka began to fill her brother in on the parts of her life that he had missed.

* * *

Ereinion and Maríka spent most of the afternoon catching up. He told her about existence in the Halls, how he had been reunited with their mother, his first reincarnation and life in Tirion. He told her about Vairë's legendary hall of tapestries, and about Námo, Irmo and Tulkas, whom he had met.

She told him how she had renounced her title and moved to Imladris, where Elrond, knowing that she loved making clothes and was good at it, gave her a job as official dressmaker. She told him about Elrond's children and Ereinion said that he had already met Elladan; Maríka promised to introduce him to the others before dinner. They discussed a few other things like diplomatic relations with neighbouring towns and which courtiers, officials and councillors had sailed to Valinor before Maríka got up the courage to reveal the most important thing regarding her new life.

She need not have bothered.

"So," Ereinion said, leaning back on the garden bench that they currently occupied, "how many years have you been married?"

Maríka's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

Ereinion laughed. "Give me some credit, Marí, I am your brother. I noticed this afternoon that Celelas wears a wedding band decorated with a leaf and rose pattern; and I saw that you were wearing an identical one when you embraced me inside. You're not wearing it right now but there's a mark on your finger where it usually sits and I saw you take it off just as we came out here."

Maríka had to laugh. "I forgot that nothing gets past you." She took her gold wedding band - decorated with a pattern of entwining leaves and roses, just as Ereinion described - out of her pocket and slipped it on her finger. "We were married not ten years after Elrond and Celebrían. I imagine that our union will come as no surprise to you."

Ereinion shook his head with a smile. His sister and housekeeper had had feelings for each other ever since Celelas had been employed in Fingon's household at the age of 80. They had been unable to enter into a relationship for obvious reasons: he was a housekeeper and she a princess. Holding out hope that one day they would be able to be together, Maríka, like her brother, had denied all proposals of marriage. Neither sibling had felt able to enter into a loveless political marriage due to the feelings they each held for someone they could not be with.

"Celelas was the first to move here, in the third year of the war. Lindon's population had already started to decline by then as the first lists of dead arrived, and it got so that some of our house staff were unneeded. Some moved here, others were freed by Círdan. I stayed on in Lindon, helping Círdan carry out his duties as Steward until the end of the war, and news of your death reached us." Her voice trembled a bit and Ereinion scooted a little closer, taking hold of her hand. She swallowed and continued.

"Elrond made it clear that he did not want to take the crown, and I did not wish to either. He formally abdicated the throne, and everyone knew that I had no wish to be Queen. I was not required to abdicate, as you had not proclaimed me formally in line to the throne. Of those who did not sail, the majority moved here to Imladris, some travelled to Lothlorien and the rest went to Mithlond. Very few stayed, but we allowed those that did to move into the palace - neither Elrond, Círdan, nor I wanted to see it fall into disrepair. It is maintained in the state that you left it, and every year it gets some visitors who want to see for themselves the former glory of the elven High Kingdom. However, the royal wing is sectioned off and remains closed to visitors."

Her brother nodded as he absorbed all of this. "I had not really expected Elrond to take the throne. Naming him heir was just a formality." After a moment, he inquired about the other elven realms.

"Galadriel and Celeborn are still in Lothlorien. A few years ago they adopted the children of a distant cousin of Celeborn's - twins, a boy and a girl, named Evan and Erulissë. Their mother died in childbirth, and their father was taking the twins to Lothlorien when he was hit with an orc's arrow; he was already weak after the passing of his wife and he died just as he reached the border."

Ereinion covered his mouth with his hand. "Oh, that's awful."

Maríka nodded and then shrugged. "The twins are only very young, four years old this year: they will not remember their birth parents. The Lord and Lady will tell them the truth when they are old enough."

"And Greenwood?"

"Thranduil ascended the throne, as expected. He married Lady Indilwen, and they have three sons: Rinion, Erurainon, and Legolas. It is something of a private joke here in Imladris that Thranduil will not be beaten by Elrond in anything - Rinion was born the same year as Elrond's twins, Erurainon was born a few months after Arwen and Legolas is seven months older than Círa."

Ereinion laughed. "Somehow I don't think that's a coincidence."

Maríka shook her head with a smile. She watched as her brother sobered and became lost in his thoughts. She nudged his leg with her foot. "That's the second time today that I've seen that look on you. What happened this afternoon?"

Ereinion sighed. "I was getting settled back in when Elrond came into my rooms. He was shocked to see me, understandably, and thought I was just a hallucination. I said I wasn't and he asked me to prove it...so I kissed him."

It was Maríka's turn to cover her mouth with her hand. Ereinion met her gaze and nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly how he looked afterwards."

Maríka recovered from the shock and took her hand away. "Well, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Do you want to go back to what you had?"

Ereinion leant forward, elbows on his knees, and passed a hand over his face. "More than anything," he replied, looking back over his shoulder at Maríka. "But it isn't that simple. His wife has only been gone a few months, and he and his children are still in shock. And then there's the fact that they may not accept a relationship between me and their father."

"I doubt you'd have a problem with Elladan and Elrohir," Maríka said after a moment's consideration. "They're old enough to understand that you're not replacing their mother, and would put their father's happiness before their own feelings. Besides, Elladan has known about the two of you for quite a few years now: I don't know if he has told Elrohir or not. Círa is too young to really understand what has happened - all she knows is that her mother has gone away and that it has made her father sad. I think that if you were to get back with him then she would accept you because you would make him happy again."

Ereinion smiled wryly. "And Arwen?"

Maríka suppressed a sigh. "Arwen...is unpredictable. I honestly don't know how she would take it, but from the petulant way she has been acting lately, I daresay she wouldn't take it well."

Their conversation turned to other topics, and they stayed outside talking until the valley was covered in the pale peach-coloured light of dusk.

"It will be dinnertime soon," Maríka announced. "We should probably go inside."

Ereinion agreed, and they stood and headed inside, arms linked. They encountered the Peredhel children in the entrance hall, and Maríka steered Ereinion towards them. Ereinion suspected that the siblings had been talking about him, as their conversation ebbed away as he approached.

"That is him," Elladan said quietly as the four of them arranged themselves into a line to make introductions easier.

"Ereinion, these are Elrond's children: Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen and Círa," Maríka said, indicating each one as she said their name. "Elladan, you've already met him, everyone else, this is Ereinion Gil-Galad."

Elladan inclined his head. "Good evening, my Lord. Are you enjoying your stay so far?"

Ereinion nodded. "I am, yes. Imladris is just as beautiful as I remember."

Elladan smiled slightly in approval. "I am glad."

Círa, who was next in the line, looked up at the former King with wide eyes. "Were you really the King?"

Ereinion smiled. "Yes, I was."

An expression of total awe appeared on Círa's face and she hid herself behind Elladan's leg, shy in the presence of someone that she regarded as a storybook hero. Elrohir chuckled slightly at her reaction and stepped forward, his right hand extended.

"Elladan has told me about you," he said as Ereinion shook his hand. "But I promise it was all good."

Ereinion laughed. "I should hope so!"

Elrohir stepped back next to his brother and Ereinion's attention turned to Arwen. Maríka's earlier comment replayed itself in his head and he found himself almost dreading her reaction. However, if his presence irked her, she did not outwardly show it.

"_Mae govannen_, your Majesty," she greeted with a low curtsy. She straightened up and Ereinion inclined his head in response.

"Please, call me Ereinion. I am no longer the King and I have no intention of reclaiming the throne."

Arwen nodded curtly. "Very well."

The bell for dinner sounded and after saying that it was wonderful to meet them, Ereinion excused himself from Elrond's children and allowed Maríka to escort him into the dining room. As he turned away he saw that the look in Arwen's eyes, which had previously been polite, but not truly welcoming, had become as cold as the Helcaraxë. Ereinion made sure to show no reaction, but the resentment in the beautiful blues unnerved him. He instantly got the impression that she knew about him and her father, and his instincts told him to watch out.

He put those thoughts out of his mind as he and his sister entered the dining room and starting moving towards the main table, where their seats were assigned. Glorfindel, who was already seated, patted the chair to his right and Ereinion sank into it, grateful for the few moments of peace he would have before a night full of introductions and questions began.

* * *

I apologise if the story is developing slower than you'd like…personally I think it's going too slow but I think if I add any more to the previous chapter it will spoil the suspense. However, I _promise_ that the tension between Elrond and Ereinion will be resolved at the very start of the next chapter. :)

**Regarding Maríka:** The thing to consider is that when Maríka and Ereinion are reunited, Ereinion has only been in Imladris for a maximum of four hours; and being the reason for his return, Elrond would have been Ereinion's first priority. Even though she is his sister, seeing Maríka would not have entered Ereinion's head - and with the shock of his return, it would not have entered Erestor and Glorfindel's heads either (reasons for Celelas not mentioning her become evident in the next chapter) - and it is possible that he didn't know she was in Imladris. He would have assumed, as he said, that she either stayed in Lindon or moved to Mithlond. He would have watched her in the Halls, of course, but not everything about her life after his death would be revealed to him. Hopefully all of that seems plausible.


	5. At the Beginning

Fandom: _Lord of the Rings_  
Universe: **AU**  
Story Rating: M  
Chapter Rating: K

Celelas and Maríka are mine, everyone else is Tolkien's.

I promised that there would be a resolution between Elrond and Ereinion in this chapter, so here it is.  
_(To the person who was looking forward to this resolution, you know who you are, and I hope this is to your satisfaction!)_

There'll be a bit more about Elrond's children and how they're feeling in the next few chapters. I had to get all of the business with Elrond and Ereinion sorted first, but now that's done, so from here on in the story should move a bit faster, and we'll get into the good stuff. I'm aiming for this story to be at least 20 or more chapters long, so we've got a little while to go yet...and after all, you can't have too much of a good thing, right?

Enjoy! C:

* * *

The evening had not been as bad as Ereinion had feared; in fact, he quite enjoyed himself. Celelas had not cooked a whole feast, just a few of Ereinion's favourite dishes, and Ereinion had been introduced to all of the residents and staff, who welcomed him warmly. A few of the younger elves - those who were too young to remember him, or had been born after he died - were intimidated at first, being in the presence of such a legend, but Ereinion had an easy smile and was adept at putting people at ease. Soon nearly everyone forgot that he had only arrived that morning; after conversing with him most felt as if they had known him their whole lives. Those that had known him in his first life were overjoyed beyond words to have him back, and though a few of them wanted him to reclaim his throne, Ereinion politely but firmly stated that he had not been sent back to be King again and that he had no wish to take on that responsibility again. The world had settled down and governed itself quite fine since his death, he said, and if he were to reclaim the throne now it was likely that all it would do was upset the balance. And so the subject was dropped.

The real reason why Ereinion had been sent back was not known. A few elves had asked, but he had not been willing to divulge the information and so that subject was dropped as well. It was accepted that it was the will of the Valar, and most elves were of the mind that if Lord Glorfindel had been brought back to life, then there was no reason why the High King could not be restored as well. Any other reason for his rebirth became irrelevant.

Elrond had not been present, but no one had mentioned his absence and Glorfindel had taken over as host in his stead. Ereinion felt a little disappointed, but given the events of that afternoon he could not say he was surprised that the half-elf had kept to himself, and there was little time to mourn his absence. The night was filled with meeting everyone and then dancing with his sister; Maríka had deemed him a worthy understudy of her husband, who had been busy in the kitchens all night with the cooking and the dishes.

As enjoyable as the night had been on a whole, Ereinion took his leave as soon as he was able. Once the food had been eaten, all introductions made and the third cask of wine emptied, Ereinion slipped away, begging tiredness, and headed to the kitchen. A glance at the clock in the entrance hall revealed the time to be ten forty-five in the evening. Celelas was just finishing the dishes and smiled as Ereinion appeared in the doorway.

"Was the night to your satisfaction, my Lord?"

"It was," Ereinion confirmed. He smiled a knowing smile. "Your cooking skills have only improved since I last saw you...Brother."

The title startled Celelas, who nearly dropped the plate he had just finished drying. "What did you just call me?"

"Brother. You are married to my sister, so that makes us brothers, does it not?" Ereinion replied with a slight laugh as he walked inside the small room.

Celelas frowned slightly. "You are not...disappointed, that Maríka did not marry someone more worthy?"

"More worthy?" the former king's eyebrows shot up. "My dear Celelas, who could be more worthy for Maríka than someone who loves her as completely as you do?"

The cook seemed lost for words. "But...I am just a housekeeper and she-"

Ereinion had advanced on his newfound brother-in-law and pressed a finger against the shorter elf's lips. "Do not say it. Celelas, I of all people understand the love you have for her. I would not care if you were servant to a stableboy - you love her, she loves you, and you two are _finally_ happy. How can I find fault with that?" He embraced his old friend tightly. "I can think of no one more worthy, and if I could have chosen who she was to marry, I would have chosen you."

Ereinion's words brought tears to Celelas's eyes, and he wiped them away in embarrassment when they pulled apart. "Thank you," he said, and truly meant it.

Ereinion smiled. "You are welcome." A second later his smile dropped and he sighed. "If only my own love life was working out as well as yours."

Celelas nodded. "Ah. Yes, Mari told me what happened this afternoon. I take it Elrond did not show himself tonight?"

The former King shook his head and dropped into a chair at the modest kitchen table. "No. Can't say I blame him, though. If I was him I would have stayed away, too."

"The fact that he pushed you away does not necessarily mean what you think it means, Ereinion. He would not have been expecting you to do that, and I daresay your very presence would have been quite a shock as well." As he spoke, the silver-haired elf put a kettle on the boil and began to make tea.

"I know," Ereinion sighed. "It does not make me less nervous, though."

"You are planning to talk to him tonight?"

Ereinion nodded, and Celelas smiled. "Better now than later." He finished his task held the mug of steaming tea out for Ereinion. "Take this to him. He will still be in his study, and usually takes a cup of tea at this hour."

The dark-haired elf stood and accepted the mug, relishing the warmth that spread through his hands and marvelling at how comforting the small sensation was. He had not realised how much he missed the little things, like the warmth of a fresh cup of tea.

"Good luck," the housekeeper said with a smile.

"Thank you."

Ereinion left the kitchen and carried the mug upstairs to Elrond's study, careful not to spill any on the carpet. The carved wooden door that he stopped in front of had never seemed so intimidating to him. Taking a deep breath to still his nerves, Ereinion raised a hand and knocked on the door in his signature rhythm, and, presence announced, proceeded to open the door and peer around the edge.

Elrond, who had abandoned his work a short while ago and had been quietly freaking out over the events of that afternoon ever since, looked up at the familiar knock and could not help smiling when Ereinion poked his head inside. "Hello," the half-elf said, his smile widening slightly.

Ereinion was reassured by this welcome and stepped inside. "Hi. I brought your tea," he announced, raising the mug slightly. He stepped over to the desk as Elrond shifted some papers and cleared a space for the mug.

"Thank you," Elrond said emphatically, reaching for the mug as soon as it came into contact with his desk. He took a mouthful and swallowed, grateful for the warmth it afforded him. Ereinion had seated himself in front of Elrond's desk and was regarding the half-elf with an expression of apprehension. He took a visible deep breath.

"Elrond, about this afternoon-"

Elrond lowered the mug from his lips and held up a hand. "Please, let me go first."

Ereinion nodded and Elrond placed the mug on his desk before he started speaking. "I know you think you need to apologise for kissing me, but I'm the one who should apologise, for pushing you away. No, don't interrupt," Elrond said when Ereinion again opened his mouth to speak. The former King closed his mouth and leant back in his chair, letting Elrond continue.

"I did not push you away because the advance was unwelcome. It wasn't. I was the one who asked you to prove your existence and to be honest I actually don't know what I was expecting you to do. It wasn't that I didn't want you to kiss me, but that I didn't not want you to kiss me, and that was a scary thought." Elrond passed a hand over his face. "That didn't make sense. Let me try again." He thought for a moment, sorting out his thoughts.

"Before you arrived, my life was a series of neat, alphabetised lists. Everything was planned and organised. And then you appeared, and it was like you had come in with a cup of tea and accidentally spilt it all over the page, reducing order and structure to nothing more than a big smudge of ink. And now I don't know how to make sense of anything. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Aye, I do." After a moment Ereinion smiled softly. "I was the last person you were expecting to see, wasn't I?"

Elrond nodded, raising his eyebrows slightly. "That's something of an understatement."

Ereinion smiled, an expression that quickly turned apologetic. "I'm sorry that I did not come to you first. I wanted to let Glorfindel and Erestor know I was back and get settled in a little before I saw you, and I wanted a chance to figure what to actually say to you."

Elrond took another sip of tea. "That's understandable. It was unfair of me to expect you to come and see me before you did anything else."

Silence fell between them for a few moments, as both elves tried to figure out how to voice the question in their minds.

Ereinion took the plunge first. "What happens now?"

Elrond, knowing that the other elf was speaking of their relationship, sighed and considered for a moment. "I don't know. I have to sort out my feelings before I can even start to think about us."

The former King bit his lip. "Do you think we'll ever get back together?"

Elrond wordlessly regarded the elf in front of him as he finished his tea. He could see Ereinion's nervousness and realised in that moment that they were both feeling equally unsure about and afraid of the other's reaction. He smiled, trying to make it as reassuring as he could. "I'm definitely not going to rule it out as a possibility."

Ereinion exhaled, his relief clearly visible. "I was hoping you'd say that," he admitted with a laugh.

Elrond chuckled a little. "That said, I don't want to rush into anything. If we did start that again, it wouldn't be for quite a while. You have been dead for an entire Age, Ereinion," he continued quietly. "So much has changed since you've been gone. _I_ have changed. Admittedly, my feelings for you have not, but it wouldn't be smart to just jump back into our old relationship without any thought to the consequences. I need to get used to having you back and you need to get used to living again, and in a world that is so different from the one you left."

"You always were wiser than me," Ereinion replied softly, a warm smile on his lips. "You're right, of course." Now that Elrond had said it, he could indeed see the wisdom and truth in the words.

Elrond smiled, relieved that Ereinion hadn't been upset by his need to sort everything out first. "Right. Now that we have that settled, I think I'm going to go to bed."

Ereinion agreed that that was a very good idea, and they both left Elrond's study, walking in amicable silence to the family wing. Ereinion's door was closest, and they stopped there for a few moments. Neither was quite sure what to do, but in the end Elrond stepped forward and embraced his friend. "Good night, Ereinion."

Ereinion returned the embrace. "Good night, Elrond."

Elrond raised himself up on tiptoe to bridge their two-inch height difference and whispered into the King's ear, "I am glad that you're back. Suddenly this house doesn't seem so lonely."

"I am glad to be back," Ereinion replied. They broke apart, established that neither of them needed anything to make them more comfortable, and retreated to their respective bedrooms. Elrond stopped at the entry to his own room and glanced back at Ereinion's doorway, a happy smile playing on his lips and a peaceful feeling settling in his heart as the blue door swung closed. He knew that tonight he would sleep better than he had in almost two years.

* * *

The next morning Ereinion awoke to the sound of birds singing outside, feeling more refreshed and well-rested than he had in a long time. For a few seconds he thought that he had a day full of official business to conduct and his heart sank, but then he remembered that this was a new life and he had no obligations or responsibilities at all. He stretched like a cat, toes curling as the feeling of being gloriously free swept through him. He pulled the covers more tightly around himself and put his head back on the pillow, content to just lay there for a while and take advantage of this wonderful new freedom. For an hour he dozed lightly on and off as he languished in the fact that he could sleep in for as long as he wanted.

He was emerging once again from behind the filmy curtain of half-sleep when the clock downstairs chimed nine times. On the last stroke his stomach growled, and deciding that he had been rebellious enough for one day, Ereinion got out of bed and headed out of his room. He retrieved a dressing gown - violet silk, his favourite one - from his wardrobe as he passed it, and headed towards the dining room.

Glorfindel sat at the head of the table, a half-empty cup of tea in one hand and the report from the night's border patrol in the other. Ereinion dropped into the seat on Glorfindel's right and retrieved a pear from the bowl on the table.

"Your tea will be cold," he said by way of greeting.

Glorfindel made a non-committal sound and took a sip from his cup in way that suggested he had not really heard what Ereinion had said. After a minute or so he put the report down and looked at Ereinion, realising who it actually was.

"Good morning! How did it go last night?" he finished the last of his tea - which had, in fact, gone a little cold - and set his mug on the table.

"Good," Ereinion said, taking another bite of the pear. "I took him his tea; we worked through our issues, and then went to bed."

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. "You went to bed? That was fast!"

Ereinion realised what he said and smacked Glorfindel on the arm. "_Separately_. By the Valar, Glorfindel, what do you take us for?"

"Nymphomaniacs," Glorfindel replied without hesitation. He dodged another hit from Ereinion, laughing. "Peace, peace!"

"We were not that bad!" the former King protested, unable to stop his own laughter.

"Oh, come on. If you can look me in the eye, right now, and say that you would not have slept with him given the chance, I will take it back."

Ereinion eyed Glorfindel for a few moments and then looked away, knowing that Glorfindel would be able to tell if he lied.

Glorfindel smiled smugly. "I didn't think so."

Ereinion made a face at him at he finished off his pear. As he set the core down on his plate, Glorfindel asked him what plans he had.

"Plans?"

"You know, do you want to work? Have a job?"

"Oh." Ereinion frowned, then nodded slowly. "I hadn't really thought about it, but yeah, I suppose I will get a job." He smiled to himself at the realisation that now that he had no other responsibilities, he could pursue any form of employment that he wished. It was a novel concept to him and in his head he briefly ran through a list of occupations that took his fancy, and decided to go and speak to Elrond about potential employment after he had finished aiding Glorfindel.

The blond elf nodded, pleased. "Well, while you think about what you want to do, would you mind helping me teach the younger elves? Some of them are a bit hard to handle sometimes and I'm quite sure they'll be suitably intimidated by you and will do what you tell them."

Ereinion laughed. "Now I see. Being concerned about my future was just a ruse and this was all part of your evil plan to get me to do your job for you?"

"Of course."

Ereinion shook his head with a smile. "Sure, I'll help out. Just let me go and get dressed, and I'll see you at ten."

"Good. Bring Aeglos," Glorfindel said. "It's in the gallery, with your sword and shield and the rest of your armour."

Ereinion nodded and left the dining room, heading back up to the living quarters. He went into his room and got changed into black leggings and a blue tunic, not bothering with a vest or a belt because it was likely that his shirt would end up coming off anyway. He brushed his hair and pulled it up into a single ponytail and then slipped on a pair of boots on his way out of the room. He stopped off in the gallery and collected his sword and Aeglos - both of which were still sharp and in immaculate condition, no doubt Elrond's doing - before heading outside and across the grounds to a shady clearing where lessons and training were typically held.

A few older elves were practicing off to one side and Ereinion waved to them in greeting as he approached Glorfindel's students. The blond waved him over from the other side of the group, and a few of the youths turned to see who their teacher was looking at. When they caught sight of the former King, they gasped in surprise and hastily turned to their friends to share the news. Whispers of 'It's the King!' and 'Look, look! I _told_ you it was true!' spread through the group like wildfire. By the time Ereinion reached Glorfindel's side, the slight chatter had died down completely and each student was standing stock-still, backs straight with their hands clasped in front of them and heads respectfully lowered. The former King shared an amused smile with Glorfindel. This was going to be fun.

* * *

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. I feel like it needs something more because nothing really happens, but it was getting too long to continue. :/

Anyway, you guys let me know what you think.


	6. Sweet Surrender

Fandom: _Lord of the Rings_  
Universe: **AU**  
Story Rating: M  
Chapter Rating: K+  
Warning: Emotional turmoil

Aurellias, Candis, Celelas and Círa are mine; Everyone else is Tolkien's. You know, the usual. :P

I think this is the longest chapter so far! It's still not moving quite as fast as I'd like, but we're doing okay. This has been up on my deviantART account for quite a while, but until now I hadn't had the chance to put it here. I apologise for the delay, and hope that they wait was worth it. (:

* * *

Elrond woke earlier than usual, and was surprised to find that he felt perfectly awake and had no wish to go back to sleep. With a smile he remembered the conversation he had had with Ereinion the previous night; the knowledge that they had sorted out their issues and that things would not be awkward between them was immensely relieving. The half-elf got out of bed and headed into the shower, deciding to take advantage of these few extra hours that he had. He would go to his study and review the progress reports that Glorfindel had submitted about his students and then he would take care of the next border patrol roster - which reminded him, he needed to talk to his sons about their renegade orc hunting. After that he would find Ereinion and see if he wanted to have some lunch while they discussed what he would do with his life now that he was no longer King. When they were younger Ereinion always said he wanted to learn to be a blacksmith, but he had become King virtually as soon as he was of age and duties to the court and his country had kept him too busy for him to pursue any personal callings. Elrond wondered if the former King still had a desire to learn that craft, or if it had just been youth's daydreaming: Elrond himself had wanted to be an lion tamer, but that had well and truly fell through.

There were always positions open with Rivendell as well: another advisor or non-self-absorbed councillor would be a welcome addition, Elrond thought. The possibilities were endless. Elrond knew that Glorfindel would rope the former King into helping him with teaching the youngsters until Ereinion found a more permanent job, and if he wanted to keep doing that then that was fine as well.

After lunch, he would give the new rosters to Glorfindel and then go to the healing house to help Aurellias; and that night he would go to the main dining room for dinner. Satisfied with his mental plan for the day, Elrond finished dressing and did his hair and then headed towards his study. He spent the first hour cleaning and reorganising his desk. When he was finished, all of the documents were organised into four piles: urgent, not-so-urgent, can wait a while and old/no longer necessary. The fourth pile was used as kindling for the fire, and the other three were filed away in his desk drawers until the only things left on top of his desk were the work for that morning and his writing implements. Standing back and surveying his handiwork, Elrond realised that he had worked up an appetite and was just about to go in search of breakfast when there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Candis, who was carrying a tray with a cup of tea and two slices of toast and marmalade.

"Good morning, my Lord," she greeted with a smile. "You're up early! Did you sleep well?"

She set the tray on his desk and moved to open the window as Elrond replied, "morning, Candis. I did sleep well, thank you."

"Got your issues with the King all sorted then?"

As soon as the question left her mouth she realised that it was slightly inappropriate and she covered her mouth, shooting an apologetic glance in Elrond's direction. "I'm sorry; it's not my place to ask."

Elrond waved the apology away. "It's alright; I know that Celelas enjoys gossiping too much for his own good." And at least Candis was not someone who would spread his business around the entire city. In her opinion, what was said in the kitchen regarding her Lord stayed in the kitchen, and Elrond was immeasurably grateful for this. "We did get everything sorted between us."

She smiled and nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. Is there anything else I can get for you?" she gestured towards the breakfast tray.

"No, thank you," he smiled. "Just assure Celelas that his speculations about what happened last night can remain family-friendly."

Candis laughed and said that she would. She left the room and headed back to the kitchen, glad to see that her Lord seemed to be mostly back to normal, and recovering well from the loss of his wife. She knew enough of the old rumours to know that Ereinion's presence was the catalyst for Elrond's seeming overnight recovery, and that it was likely that very soon it would not be odd for them to spend a lot of time in the other's company. Some would say that it was not right, that he ought to have remained faithful to their Lady, but ultimately it was no one but Elrond's job to make decisions about his life. If he got back together with the King then that would be wonderful and Candis would be happy for them, if not, then it would be sad that one of the last Age's greatest loves would not be rekindled, but it would be their decision and Candis would also be happy for them in that instance. She brought herself out of her musings as she entered the kitchen and started the washing-up. She would just have to wait and see what would happen.

Elrond made quick work of the toast and started on his tea - which was a more comfortable temperature this time - as he got started on the paperwork for the day.

It was close to midday and Elrond had just finished his paperwork and his second cup of tea when his sons knocked on the door of his study. He bade them enter and the twins shuffled inside and sat in front of his desk like they were anticipating a death sentence. Elrond raised an eyebrow and stifled a smile as he moved to stand in front of them.

"We know why you have sent for us, Ada," Elrohir said quietly. They knew that Elrond did not approve of their orc-hunting, and now he was going to punish them for being reckless and stupid. It had only been a matter of time before Elrond pulled himself out of his own swamp of grief and forcefully shook them out of theirs.

Elrond leant back against his desk. "Oh, really? And why is that?"

Elladan voiced out loud the thoughts he was sharing with his brother. "Because our hunting orcs is reckless and stupid and we could easily get ourselves killed out there."

"You understand that this is our way of dealing with our grief but you want us to stop going after the orcs because it's too dangerous," Elrohir added.

Elrond raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well, I won't deny that I would rather that you didn't go and put yourselves in immediate danger, but I'm not going to make you stop."

Two identical faces looked up at their father in surprise.

"...What?"

Elrond smiled. "I understand that you feel guilty that you could not reach your mother in time, and now you're working out your frustration and guilt by committing genocide. Like I said, I'd rather you didn't, but if I forced you to stop then that would make me a hypocrite."

The twins shared a glance. "How would that make you a hypocrite?"

Elrond sighed as he recalled the time when he did a similar thing to what they were doing. "After the King was killed by Sauron, my whole world collapsed," he explained. "Ereinion had been my best friend" - more than that - "and the only person that I trusted unconditionally and with everything. To have him suddenly gone...it was too much of a shock to my system and I shut down completely: I barely talked to anyone, I didn't eat, I didn't sleep. I couldn't feel anything except the pain. I felt like I needed to blame someone for his death in order to get closure, and since blaming myself wasn't achieving anything except making me want to kill myself even more than I already did, I blamed the orcs. Sauron was the one who had killed him, but he had been defeated so there was no point in going after him.

"For years I lived in the wild, scouring the area around Lindon and the Havens for the foul creatures, and after a while they were either all dead or too afraid to go near that area, so I came back here to make these mountains safe. It wasn't hard - with Sauron gone the orcs were leaderless and were reduced to small groups that were easy to find and destroy.

"I found that the only time I could feel something was when I was killing orcs. Every time one died at my hand, I felt like I was doing something worthwhile: I was 'saving the world', and it made me feel...alive. I got a sick satisfaction from standing in the middle of the battlefield and looking around at the carnage I'd caused. It had become an addiction."

The twins exchanged another glance. The feelings that their father had just described were the same ones that they felt when they went hunting. Their father had fallen silent for the moment, remembering the past. He had moved around as he spoke and now faced away from them, gazing without seeing out of the window behind his desk as he leant over and braced himself against the windowsill.

"What happened next?" Elrohir breathed.

"I had been searching for six months and had found no traces of any orc camps in that time. Every orc between here and the coast had been killed by my hand, but it hadn't made the pain go away." He let the implications of that sink in for a moment before continuing, "I finally realised that nothing would bring Ereinion back, and I owed it to him to go home and live my life for the both of us. I had been gone five years, and everyone here thought that I had died. It's a wonder that I didn't.

"When I came home, your mother was at the gate; she knew that I would come home that day, and had been waiting for me. She was one of only a few who believed that I wasn't dead and that eventually I would come home. She had kept the city running in my absence, and continued to do so while I recovered: I had been more concerned with fighting than taking care of myself, and I had become very sick without even realising. When I finally lay down on a real bed I slept for a fortnight straight and it took me several months to recover completely. Your mother stayed on to help me rule and after a while the love that we had always had for each other as friends became something more. We got married, and you know the rest."

Elrond finished his tale and looked at his sons, who were sitting quietly. He moved back around his desk and knelt down in front of them, putting a hand on one knee of each twin as he looked into their faces. "I know exactly what you're feeling right now, and I know that you feel that you need to do this. I won't stop you," he repeated, "but just let me say that it won't make you feel better, and it won't bring her back. It isn't your fault that she left in the first place; it's not anyone's fault. Just because she won't return to these shores doesn't mean that you won't ever see her again, or that she doesn't love you."

Elrohir had tears in his eyes, and Elladan was trying not to show that he did as well.

"We know, Ada," Elladan said. Elrond rose to his feet and his sons followed suit, moving into their father's outstretched arms. Elrond wrapped his arms tightly around the twins and kissed first Elrohir's temple, and then Elladan's. Elrohir's voice was soft as he said, "We're just scared that you will be captured and attacked like Nana was. We can't lose you as well, or anyone else."

The twins clung to their father and to each other, feeling more like young elves with only a few centuries behind them than the fierce millennia-old warriors that they were.

"I'm not going anywhere," Elrond said. "I won't leave you, I promise."

They broke apart and the twins wiped their eyes. "We're going to stay here," said Elladan. "There aren't that many orcs around anymore and, well..."

"We're tired," finished Elrohir. "Tired of fighting, and running, and we missed you."

Elrond smiled. "I am glad. I missed you as well, and I was always worried that you _would_ get yourselves killed."

Elladan grinned devilishly as he and his brother headed towards the door. "Oh no. We would not let that happen - if it did then we would miss seeing the unfolding of your great romance with Ereinion!"

Elrond went to cuff the younger elf upside the head but Elladan danced out of his way.

"Out, both of you!"

The twins laughed as they left their father's study and closed the door behind them. Elrond smiled to himself, happy that his sons would stay at home for a while. When the door closed he allowed his smile to drop and he sighed as he sat down in the window seat, thoroughly exhausted after his trip down Memory Lane. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth and light of the sun rejuvenate him as he leant his temple against the sun-warmed glass of the window. He sat there quietly for a while, until the door to his study opened yet again; this time to admit Ereinion.

"Morrniiing," the former King said as he walked inside. His sunny smile disappeared when he saw Elrond, and he moved forward with a concerned expression. "Are you alright?"

Elrond nodded and stood up, gracing the taller elf with a small smile. "Yes, I'm just a little emotionally worn-out. I was talking with Elladan and Elrohir, about what I did after your death."

Ereinion set the lunch tray that he had taken from Candis on the desk. "Your orc-hunting?"

"Yes," Elrond said, taken aback. "How did you know?"

"I watched," Ereinion said with an indulgent smile as he picked up a bunch of grapes and sat on the side of the desk. "How are they doing?"

Elrond moved back around to sit in his desk chair. "A little better than expected. I think they have worked out most of their grief and frustration - Elrohir said that they were tired of running, which is a good sign. They are going to stay here for a while, which can only be beneficial for everyone. Círa used to ask me every day if I knew when they were coming home, and I know that everyone else missed them and worried for them." He reached for a sandwich. "The Valar know I did."

"How long have they been back?"

"A few days longer than you."

Ereinion nodded. "The few times I've seen them, they have seemed to be alright. At any rate, when I passed them in the corridor they dissolved into a fit of giggles, so I suppose they're not doing too badly."

Elrond chuckled a little himself. "Oh yes, that was because of Elladan's parting shot. He said that they had endeavoured not to get killed because if they did they would miss the unfolding of our great romance."

Ereinion snorted. "Well, at least they have their priorities sorted."

"True," Elrond smiled. "You have impeccable timing. I was going to go and find you and see if you wanted to have lunch together, and here you are, with lunch."

"That's just how amazing I am," Ereinion replied with a nonchalant shrug. He earned a grin from Elrond.

"How did the training go?"

"Good," Ereinion said. "I just watched, mostly, until one of the boys got overly mouthy - I put on my best King face and told him in my best King voice that if he didn't behave I'd have him put in the stocks."

"Did it work?"

"Yes, surprisingly." The comment and subsequent mental image made them both laugh.

For a while they ate in comfortable silence, simply enjoying the other's familiar presence.

"So, what are you planning to do with yourself this time around?" Elrond asked as he extracted a small bunch of grapes from the tray and propped his feet up on the desk.

Ereinion chuckled. "Glorfindel asked me the same thing this morning at breakfast. I don't know - I've had other things to think about than potential career changes."

"Well, there's no rush," Elrond said. "If you want to wait a while before you decide whether or not to work, then that's fine."

Ereinion considered this for a moment. "I think I do want to have a job, because since I'm no longer King I think if I have nothing to occupy me I'll go stir-crazy. I just don't know what kind of job I want, and whether or not I want one right away."

"You always used to say you wanted to be a blacksmith."

"So I did," Ereinion laughed. "Not so much anymore, though. I don't think I'd be able to work so closely around fire."

Elrond nodded in understanding. "There are plenty of fire-free jobs: advisor, scribe, border guard, et cetera. You don't have to decide now; I'm not short on staff or anything."

Ereinion thought about it, and after he spoke: "I think, for the moment, I'll just keep helping Glorfindel if he needs it. As you said yesterday, I need to readjust to life - I don't think I could handle a full-time job right now. But when the time is right and I decide what kind of job I want, I'll let you know."

"That's fair enough. Helping Glorfindel is probably the best thing for you: your fighting skills could probably use some re-training," Elrond added cheekily. Ereinion nudged Elrond's leg with his foot.

"Quiet, you!" Ereinion retorted, joining in with the half-elf's laughter. When the laughter died down he took a moment to relish the fact that everything was still so easy between them, despite everything that had happened.

"What are you thinking about?" Elrond asked, stretching and sitting up straighter. "You look all happy and serene all of a sudden."

"Hmm, nothing," the former King replied with a smile. He looked over his shoulder at the clock in the corner. "Whoa, look at the time. I better get back to the training grounds, I told Glorfindel I'd help with his afternoon class."

Elrond checked the time himself and stood up, gathering some papers from his desk. "I'll come with you: I need to give the new rosters to Glorfindel."

Ereinion slid off the desk and they left Elrond's study, still talking and laughing as they made their way down the stairs.

Arwen opened the door of the library and peeked out as they passed, listening to their teasing and laughter. She did not like that they walked so close together; she knew the rumours that had once circulated at the High-King's court, and the ones that even now were travelling around Imladris. She frowned. Of course she wanted her father to be happy again, he deserved that; and she did not mind if he and Ereinion were merely friends. But the way they acted together was dangerously close to flirting and she did not like that at all.

She would not let her mother be replaced by a long-dead one-time fling of her father's, and she was prepared to do anything in her power to prevent it.

* * *

Look: conniving!Arwen. Lots of fun things in store from here on in. *nod*

Just take it on good faith that Elladan knows about Elrond and Ereinion for now…sometime in the not-to-distant future I will write down how this came about. Until then, just accept it, okay? xD


	7. Feels Like Whoa

Fandom_: Lord of the Rings  
_Universe: AU  
Story Rating: M  
Chapter Rating: K

First I must apologise for taking so long to upload this. It's been finished and uploaded on my deviantART account for a while, but I haven't had a chance to convert it for . I'm also sorry that this is another quiet, scene-setting chapter…there's only one more, and then the action starts. I promise :P

Just for reference, this is what the forest path looks like:_  
i193(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/z40/JarethsQueen/lolstuff%20private%20folder/FLTF7Theforestpath(dot)jpg_ (it's a screencap from the 2005 version of _Pride and Prejudice_)  
And this is what the plains look like:  
_i193(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/z40/JarethsQueen/lolstuff%20private%20folder/FLTF7ThePlain(dot)jpg_ (a photo I took while travelling from Sydney to Canberra)

Ereinion and Glorfindel belong to Tolkien, everyone else is mine. You know the drill.

* * *

One particular day, about a week after his arrival, Ereinion woke early, and rose before the sun. He got dressed and left his room without really knowing where he was going, and did not even have a specific inclination towards one place or another until he had crept through the corridors and emerged from the house on one of the public balconies. Winter was less than two weeks away and the air was already bracing, especially this early in the morning. From his vantage point Ereinion had a good view of the fog-covered valley below him. The city was completely hidden, the trees no more than dark green tips rising above the mist, flanked on all sides by the blue-grey slopes of the majestic Misty Mountains. Everything seemed close together from where he was standing, but he knew that between the forest and the mountains were seemingly endless rolling plains, some of which were used for crops, some for grazing, and others which were left purely as nature intended.

Ereinion took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, watching the steam leave his mouth and float up towards the clouds. The plains were calling to him. He longed to be surrounded by nothing but pure, untouched nature. But there was also a stronger call, one that was coming from closer to home.

_Ereinion..._

Frowning, the former King turned and re-entered the house, coming out again through the front doors a few minutes later. He descended the front steps and turned to his left, making his way through the empty courtyard to the stables. Silly, really, that he had not thought to come here before now. He carefully opened the door, knowing that it creaked, and silently crept past rows of sleeping horses until he found the stall he was seeking. It held a beautiful black mare that he had never thought he would see again. Revia's mane was long, as it had always been, and unhindered by braids as he knew she preferred. He could not help but smile to himself as he considered that that was a trait they both shared.

"Hello, you," he whispered when he reached her stall, reaching out to rub her nose. She pushed her face against his neck.

_It's about time_.

"I'm sorry that I did not come sooner. I was...preoccupied."

_I know. It was important for you to make peace with Elrond. It is, after all, integral to your wellbeing that you two are on good terms_.

She moved back and looked at him with eyes that were far too intelligent for an average horse. But then again, Revia was not an average horse. She had been discovered in the wilds of Hithlum in the First Age, and then bought by Fingon for Ereinion. Ereinion had been only a child then, but she had allowed him closer than she allowed anyone, and he had been the first one she allowed to ride her. The first thing that set her apart from most horses was that she was immortal; a fact neither of them had realised until Revia was many decades older than any normal horse would reach, and showed no signs of slowing down. The second was that she could telepathically communicate with any living being she came across. Ereinion had long suspected that she was a descendant of Nahar, the legendary horse of the Vala Oromë, but not even Revia knew for sure. She knew that her life had begun in Hithlum, and that she had possessed two years of memories when the elven horse-dealers had captured her. But no other horse could intelligently communicate with their riders, though they could often understand the languages of men and elves. Revia could be nothing less than a Valarian steed.

From that day in the market an unbreakable friendship had formed between them, two children on the brink of adulthood, thrust suddenly into a world that they had no choice to belong to, even though they felt completely alien there. For Ereinion it had been court life and the responsibilities of a crown prince being groomed for adulthood, for Revia it had been life among other sentient beings that were so different to her. She knew the other horses she had come across had a lower level of intelligence than her; at least these strange creatures that walked on only two legs, even if they would not completely understand her abilities, seemed to be mentally on par. She had communicated with no one but Ereinion, scared to reveal such a thing to anyone, but trusting that he would accept it and would at least try to understand, even if he did not succeed. Ereinion had embraced it wholeheartedly, enjoying having someone to talk to. His sister was still too young to have a proper conversation with, Arrey and Celebrimbor were not always around and his parents and Círdan tended to say such things like, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' when all Ereinion really needed was a little sympathy. He wanted to be cheered up and told that it would all be worthwhile, not to be made to feel guilty for not always wanting to be a prince. Revia had made a life of power and responsibility seem a lot less lonely.

Ereinion rubbed her nose again. "I did not know whether you had survived the war."

Revia tossed her mane indignantly.

_I am not so easily gotten rid of_.

Ereinion smiled. "No. No, you're not."

_Shall we go riding? I grow weary of this stall. I want to feel grass under my hooves, not straw_.

Ereinion chuckled quietly and opened the door, leading Revia out of the stables. He did not bother with a bridle or even a halter, pausing only to exchange the blanket she wore for warmth for a smaller saddle blanket. Once they were outside he easily vaulted onto her back and walked her out of the grounds of the Great House and down through the city, finding his way easily in the predawn light. Revia walked carefully to minimise the sound her shoes made on the streets, not wanting to wake anyone up.

"Elrond does not take you out?" Ereinion asked when they were through the main gate, outside of the city limits and into the forest.

_He used to, but lately he has not. He has other things to take care of, as do the others. There has not been much time for leisure riding, and I am not taken on patrol_.

Ereinion frowned. "Why not?"

_I am not theirs to take_.

"Ah." Of course. No one would dare to ride the king's mount without him around to give permission.

_Are we going to the fields?_

"Yes," he replied, patting her neck. "I need open spaces and Arda's natural beauty this morning."

She whinnied softly. _I thought you might_.

They rode on in silence as they cleared the last of the trees and stood on a small hill that overlooked the sweeping plains. The wild grasslands were in front of them, the plains allocated for crops and grazing behind them to the right, the mountains on their left. The whole world was silent, holding its breath in anticipation as the two of them stood still, simply drinking in the sight before them.

Revia shifted restlessly beneath him, braced for action, and Ereinion smiled. One word was the only instruction he needed to give.

"Fly."

And then they were off, soaring over the grass and stray wildflowers, the wind streaming through Ereinion's hair and cloak as he leant low over Revia's neck. There was plenty of room for her to stretch her legs and run as fast as she wanted, and Ereinion enjoyed it as much as she did. The cold air in his face, his adrenaline pumping, the occasional slight sting as her mane whipped against his face; her strong muscles moving underneath him and the blood singing in his veins.

For the first time since returning to Middle Earth, he truly felt alive.

The mountains on Ereinion's left were little more than a blur as they raced across the plain, knowing that there was nothing in their way for miles and miles. For what seemed like hours they just ran and ran, feeling as if they were the only two beings in the world. All that mattered was Ereinion's heartbeat pounding in his ears as fast as Revia's hoofs pounded the ground, her harsh breaths that matched his own. They rode until Ereinion felt like his legs couldn't maintain their grip on Revia's flanks, at which point Revia slowed down, feeling her rider's grip slacken slightly. By then the fog had all but dissipated and the sun's heat, though weak, started making its presence known. Eventually Revia's pace slowed to a walk, and Ereinion slid off her back like a puddle of water to flop spreadeagled on the grass. He closed his eyes against the glare of the morning sun in his face and concentrated on breathing deeply in order to calm his racing heart. He reopened his eyes when a shadow fell across the back of his eyelids. Revia hovered over him, her warm breath blowing gently across his face.

_Are you alright?_

"Never better," he grinned, reaching up to pat her nose. "You?"

_The same_, she replied. She moved away to graze the grass and Ereinion closed his eyes again, listening for the sounds of small insects in the ground and the wind through the grass. He revelled in the feeling of being so close to nature and lay there contentedly until the dew on the grass had soaked all the way through his cloak and tunic to his bare skin. Eventually it got too uncomfortable to bear so he sat up and dragged himself to his feet on legs that were still a little shaky, making his way over to Revia and rubbing her neck.

"Hey. Ready to go back?"

She nodded her head and they turned in the direction of the city, both just walking as they worked off the exertions of that morning. As they drew closer to the city Ereinion mounted again and they travelled over the bridge and through the awakened streets at a slightly faster pace, both looking forward to freshening up and finding something to eat. It was mid-morning by the time Ereinion dismounted in the main courtyard and led Revia to the stables, where he groomed her and refilled her feed bag, and then headed into the house for a bath. After he had washed and changed into clean clothes he strolled down the stairs, exchanging bright greetings with everyone he passed on the way to the kitchen.

Celelas looked up from the dishes as Ereinion knocked on the door.

"Where were you at breakfast?" he asked, drying his hands on a tea towel and moving over to take a batch of blueberry muffins out of the oven. He extracted one from the tray and put it on a plate, cutting it open and spreading it generously with fresh butter before placing it on the table in front of Ereinion.

"I was out riding," the former King said, before immediately setting about devouring his breakfast. Celelas rolled his eyes. He had made the blueberry muffins for Maríka for breakfast, and fortunately he had made more than enough so Ereinion, who loved them as much as his sister did, could also have one.

"Ah," Celelas replied. "Good. Revia's been needing the exercise." He sliced and buttered another muffin and put it on a plate with a sliced apple, and then poured a glass of juice and put both the plate and the glass on a tray. "When you've finished that," he said to Ereinion, "I need you to take this" - he indicated the tray - "to your sister, while I finish the dishes."

Ereinion raised an eyebrow. "Don't you take your wife her breakfast yourself?"

Celelas shook his head and turned back to the dishes. "In an ideal world, I would, but unfortunately I am the only cook in this household and I don't have time. And before you ask me why I haven't just hired a helper," he cut in before Ereinion could even open his mouth, "I tried that, and everyone was useless."

"Doesn't Candis help you?"

"Yes, but only when _she_ has time, which is not often considering that she makes the beds and does the laundry."

"Oh." Ereinion smiled as an idea came to him. "I have a solution. How about iI/i stay here and do the dishes, and _you_ can take Marí her breakfast."

Celelas glanced sharply at him. "But - you're the King! You shouldn't have to do dishes."

"I _was_ the King," Ereinion corrected, "and I am well accustomed to washing dishes. If I have to, I will order you to let me."

The housekeeper was still hesitant, but he relented. "Alright, if you really want to do the dishes you can, but if they are not washed to my satisfaction I might be forced to banish you from my kingdom," he added with a teasing smile.

"Ah, you present very fair terms, my lord. Very well, I will endeavour to satisfy you," Ereinion replied, moving over to the kitchen counter and gently nudging Celelas away from the sink.

Celelas watched the former King wash a plate, making sure that Ereinion was doing it properly, and also because he was reluctant to leave such a high-ranking elf doing such a menial task, even if said high-ranking elf had insisted on doing it. Ereinion noticed the other elf's scrutiny and raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, I can do it. Off you go!" he admonished. "Go and see your wife. The kitchen will still be here when you get back. I promise."

Celelas sighed in resignation. "Alright, I'm going." He picked up the tray, and with one last look at the sink, he left the kitchen and headed towards the rooms where Maríka ran her dressmaking business.

Ereinion watched the housekeeper leave, smiling to himself. An idea formed in his head as he turned his attention back to the dishes. Celelas needed a kitchenhand, and Ereinion needed a more permanent job than helping Glorfindel with weapons training; not to mention the fact that during his teenage years in Balar he had cultivated some amazing culinary skills that he rarely got the chance to utilise. It seemed perfect.

Now all he had to do was convince his brother-in-law of that perfection. And he knew just how to do it.

* * *

Yes, Revia is immortal and can talk. Because I say. This is non-negotiable. :P

Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long!


	8. Other Things of Importance

Only A/N again. Sorry to let you down once more :P

Okay, so the most popular option for uploading the new version of this is to post it as a separate story, and to leave this one as is. So that's what I've done. The new story has been posted under the name '_Far Longer Than Forever - NEW_' and you can find it on my profile. Thanks to those who let me know their preference :)

I hope you enjoy the new version just as much this one. Actually, I hope you enjoy it more ;D I certainly do.

Much love,

Lucy xx


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